Maritime Museums UK List

This page lists about 290 museums and museum-ships in Britain and Ireland, in alphabetical order of their usual names. The list includes the major 'National' museums with budgets of millions of pounds and also many small regional and village museums that are run by dedicated local volunteers with negligible funding. The list is not a detailed guide to any of them, but primarily a means of locating them, contacting them and obtaining more detailed information from other sources. Some of the museums listed may be closed, either temporarily for refurbishment, or indefinitely. Never make a special journey to any museum without first confirming the opening times. Abbreviations and notes are explained at the bottom of this page.

To see a map of where all the maritime museums in the UK are, click here

Material recovered from an Elizabethan shipwreck is diplayed, together with other items illustrating local maritime & military history, including the German occupation in WW2. Local history & archaeology. Temporary exhibitions. BA: ARC, DB, Lib, Edu, GV.

Opening days: See website, but check by phone (dependent on volunteers).

Pulling & sailing lifeboat Alfred Corry (Southwold, 1893-1918) is being restored in a building once used by the Cromer lifeboat. A Norfolk & Suffolk Class boat, the Alfred Corry is a Core Collection Vessel on the National Register of Historic Vessels.

20/08/14

The American Museum in Britain
Claverton Manor, Bath, Bath & North East Somerset, BA2 7BD

Opening days: Varies during the season: see the web-site or telephone.

Restored to original working order, this example of Victorian engineering was built 1875 to transfer canal vessels between the River Weaver & the Trent-Mersey Canal, a 50 ft height difference. Displays & facilities in Visitor Centre. Boat trips. Edu, GV BA.

Opening days: Daily, late March - end October. See NT website for winter times.

Among the displays and furnishings of this mansion are ship models, including Napoleonic PoW work. There is a collection of sea shells. The house was a Victorian period home, set in large gardens and grounds, and now belongs to the National Trust.

The "American Room" in this Georgian (1777) house is devoted to Admiral Charles Stewart who manned the USS Constitution during the 1812 war. Model of the ship. Birthplace of his grandson, Charles Stewart Parnell. GV Tours BA.

Opening days: Daily, Apr-Oct; times vary or BA. Not Sundays in winter.

An interpretative display on the history of Barmouth and the Tudor house, with a strong maritime theme. Artefacts salvaged from the 'Bronze Bell' 1709 Genoese shipwreck, & other salvage including swivel guns, are on display in Ty Gwyn. Edu BA.

The floating barge includes a Maritime Exhibition showing the heritage of trade & shipbuilding at Belfast. Archives of plans & photographs. Recorded voices of men & women recollecting the industrial past. ARC, Edu. Also a cafe & entertainment venue.

The old Guildhall has associations with The Pilgrim Fathers. It displays local archaeology, social history & art. Most of the maritime items once on display are now in storage. They can be accessed BA. Varying temporary exhbitions - see website. Edu BA.

A small museum of local history. Displays on the Cinque Port Association, the local oyster industry & local ship building. Restoration of the Essex deep-sea smack "Pioneer", built 1864. Artefacts from the Colne Smack preservation Society. Edu, GV BA.

Most of the former Royal Yacht (launched 1953, decomm. 1997) is now open to view, incl the Royal Apartments, bridge, engine room, Officers' & Yachtsmen's cabins. Audio tours. Visitor Centre has photos of historic events & other information. Edu & GV BA.

The Trust had many historic powerboats at the Marchwood site from 1999-2005. Some (FMB43957, FMB5004, HSL102, MGB81, ST1502) have gone to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, with archives. Other craft have returned to owners; a few had to be scrapped. See website.

Main collection covers archaeology, social & industrial history of Kintyre. Maritime collection is being expanded, with emphasis on local fishing. Ship models, half hulls, marine paintings. Social history. Lib, ARC. Reopened after refurbishment.

The quay-side house celebrates James Cook's life & achievements. Models of his Whitby-built ships. Charts of explorations, letters& personal memorabilia. Paintings by W. Hodges & J. Webber of the voyages. See web-site for Special Exhibitions. ARC, Edu & Lib BA.

Reconstruction of early 18C schoolroom, in the Postgate school where James Cook was taught. Displays on his family, early life & achievements. Navigation. Items owned by his widow Elizabeth. GV, Edu, IMM. Recently refurbished. A modern statue of Cook nearby.

Cavendish class destroyer. Launched 1944, served with Arctic & Atlantic convoys. 2106/2530 tons, 362 ft. Decommissioned in 1972. The last surviving British WW2 destroyer, preserved as a memorial to the 142 RN destroyers & their crews lost during WW2. GV.

There is a Seafaring gallery in this interesting museum, in a restored Edwardian theatre. Many paintings of local sailing ships and information about Ceredigion ports. Other displays on local crafts & industries. Periodic art exhibitions. Edu & GV BA.

The collection of local social & industrial history includes material on ship-building & engineering. Ship models. Large collection of Singer sewing machines. Local history video tapes available BA. AV, Edu, GV BA. Temporary exhibitions - enquire.

Important collection of Naval comms, radar, sonar, D/F & testing equipment & prototypes. Some early ship WT equipment, but mostly WW2 period or later. Some captured equipment. Now housed in new but smaller rooms. Some of the previous collection dispersed.

A collection of Welsh coracles and similar craft from Vietnam, India, Tibet, Iraq & N. America. The craft & tools of coracle making. The uses of coracles for fishing & poaching. Edu & GV BA. Adjacent to ancient flour mill and falls on the River Teifi.

Large collection of ship models, incl 26 ships in bottles. Bone PoW & glass model ships. Marine & other paintings. Memorabilia of WW2. A large archive of local photographs. ARC & Edu BA. Museum is in a 17C merchant's house & has been refurbished.

The world's first commercial experiment tank, built 1882 for the William Denny & Bros Shipyard. The 100 metre long water tank is still in working order for testing hull design. Administered by the Scottish Maritime Museum. Hydrodynamics colln. Edu & GV BA.

Opening days: Closed since October 2008 due to fire. Unlikely to reopen.

Was a small museum about Thames Sailing Barges. Barge models, plans, pictures. Shipwright's, blacksmith's & riggers' tools. Much of the collection was destroyed in a fire in 2008. The barge Cambria (1906 - DV) is now based at Faversham.

Museum of local history & archaeology now displays part of a bronze age boat discovered in 1992. Other displays relate to Dover in the two wars, cross-channel swimmers, coal mining, ship breaking. Many ship models, maps & pictures. ARC, Lib, Edu, GV

Modern replica of the Dunbrody (1845), a 3-masted barque that carried many Irish emigrants to the New World (mainly Canada). Costumed "crew" & "emigrants" tell the story of mass emigration, following the Great Famine of 1846-47. Edu & GV.

Maritime objects include a large "Admiralty" anchor & a bronze 16 century cannon. Museum tells the history of Dunwich: a major mediaeval ship-building, fishing & trading harbour destroyed by storm in 1286 & 1328, the town lost to erosion. Lib. Edu GV BA

History of naval ordnance, from gunpowder in the age of sail to modern missiles. Displays of smallarms, torpedoes, mines, cannon,& munitions manufacture. Centred on historic Grand Magazine. See website for special events & lectures. Edu & GV BA.

Folk life and fishing museum. A large tapestry commemorates the local fishing disaster of 1881. Varying exhibitions during the season. Reconstructed fisherman's cottage kitchen. Edu, GV. The World of Boats collection of small craft is nearby.

Opening days: Daily 10:00/11:00 to 17:00 in Summer. Weekends in Winter or BA.

The museum's displays explain the English canals 1793-1950. The flight of 10 lift locks (1814) is impressive. The remains of a barge/boat lift are adjacent to the museum, being restored. Conducted tours available for GV & Edu. ARC, Edu & GV BA.

Bunkers for German Naval Signals Officer & Seeko-Ki signals HQ, built during WW2 occupation. Restored & refitted with correct radio, teleprinter & encryption equipment of Marinefunkstelle V142 to show its operation. Some equipment is on loan.

Personal mementos of Grace Darling, incl the rowing coble used by her and her father to rescue 9 survivors of SS Forfarshire, wrecked in a storm in 1838. Pictures, medals & memorabilia of the wreck. Edu & GV BA. Recently refurbished RNLI museum.

09/03/14

The SS Great Britain (NHF-CC)
Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Road, Bristol.

In the Maritime Room are pictures of local sailing craft, ship models, a ship-to-shore radio desk. Display on the local lifeboat and history of the harbour. Other galleries show medals, weapons, local history, natural history & archaeology. ARC, Edu, Lib, GV.

Local history displays include the relationship between the port and the Great Central Railway. Small display on the Pilgrim Fathers. Air-sea rescue service in WW2. GV BA. ARC: photos & documents incl Humber Graving Dock archives.

New galleries commemorate WW1 with AV & interactive displays. The atrium is enlarged, to exhibit large weaponry. Many other themes. IWM holds much naval material in its collection, including the two WW1 15 inch naval guns outside the main entrance.

The northern branch of the IWM has displays on all aspects of warfare since 1914. War at sea is covered by permanent displays & special exhibitions. Collection includes paintings, drawings & photographs. IMM. Edu & GV BA.

The lives of the islanders & their crafts, from prehistoric times to the present. Maritime display of model ships, ship's bells & many small objects recovered from shipwrecks off the island. Military uniforms. Photos & memorabilia. ARC & Lib.

Birthplace (1747) of John Paul Jones "father of the US Navy". The restored 2-room cottage is partly furnished in period style, with AV programmes on domestic life & naval action of Bonhomme Richard against HMS Serapis in 1779. Reconstruction of his ship's cabin.

Museum of local history: the maritime content has recently been reduced. Some paintings, small displays on shipwreck & fishing. "Sir James Knott" RNLI lifeboat is onsite. ARC, Edu, GV & Lib - all BA. See also Zetland lifeboat entry.

A small museum with displays on the history of the canal, canal tools, documents & wildlife panel. AV, Edu. Replica Victorian trip boat. Boat trips on St Magdalene over Avon Aqueduct, or on Victoria on the Town Stretch. Other boat trips BA. Edu, GV.

Opening days: BA only, for small groups. One Open-House weekend in September.

A collection of correspondence, silverware, swords, paintings & other relics commemorating Lord Nelson & the Lloyd's connection. The "Lutine Bell" was salvaged from the 1799 wreck of HMS Lutine, on which Lloyd's paid out about one million pounds insurance.

Victorian canal life displayed in 1860s ice warehouse. The butty narrowboat "Coronis". Tools, equipment & photos. Tug moored near. The life of canal workers & the cargoes of the London region are illustrated. History of the ice trade and ice-cream. ARC Edu GV.

A small independent museum displays the past & present fishing industry in the Moray Firth. Ship models. Paintings & photos, including old Lossie Drifters. Lifesaving & diving gear. Located in a former net loft. Other local history exhibits. GV & Edu BA.

New galleries illustrate history of Dundee, or display art. Major collection related to Arctic whaling, from the Broughty Castle Museum. Other maritime items. Inuit artefacts. Exhibitions. Some of the collections are in storage, which can be visited BA.

Museum holds historic lifeboats, fishing boats & model boats. Re-created boatyard, local shops & a fisherman's cottage show the social history of Sheringham as a fishing town & a seaside resort. Photo archive. See website for special events. Edu, GV BA

The maritime collection from the Nairn Fishertown Museum is now displayed in a room of this old museum of local history: Nairn people, their work, education & sports. A military room displays weapons & uniforms. Family history records. ARC, Edu & GV BA.

Maritime and fishing themes in displays of life in the Western Isles. Some Viking items. Stornoway was a major herring fisheries port, and before that whaling was important. ARC, Edu BA. A branch museum on the Island of Benbecula.

A National museum covering science, technology and the decorative arts. About 60 ship models on display from a collection of over 350. Other maritime items throughout the museum displays: marine engine, a carronade gun, scrimshaw. Polar exploration. ARC, Edu.

Museum has a large collection of inland waterway boats, from coracles to barges, narrow-boats, ice-boats, tugs & dredgers. The site, once a canal dock area, includes a working blacksmith, pump house, a hall of historic engines, stables, etc. Edu, GV, ARC BA.

Items associated with the historic rope & net making trade of Bridport: a ropewalk, traditional tools, specimens of natural fibres. Archive of documents & photographs. Collected by the late Anthony Sanctuary.

Several ex-Royal Navy aircraft are included in a large collection of historic military aircraft. See web-site for full list. Indoor displays of engines, radio & radar, instruments, uniforms. Aerial photography. Special events, lectures etc. ARC Lib GV & Edu BA.

A community by the sea. The fishing gallery includes GIRL ANNE, a Northumbrian coble. Another gallery holds Oakley class lifeboat MARY JOICEY. A third gallery displays local historical items and has a small cinema. Views of the bay from the Cafe. Edu.

Opening days: The Royal William Yard site has closed. Moved to Devonport (qv).

Galleries in historic naval building used to display models, photographs, prints. Figureheads. Victualling: "Support to the Fleet". RN uniforms. Standard measures. Now moved to new museum at Devonport Naval Heritage Centre.

The lifeboat "Thomas Kirk Wright", former Poole lifeboat (1938- 1962). Damaged during the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation. Historic 19C lifeboat house holds other RNLI exhibits. In association with the National Maritime Museum.

Ship models, pictures, documents, tools & other equipment show the importance of local shipbuilding, and the export of Welsh slate in the fine Portmadoc topsail schooners. Housed in one of the old slate sheds. BA: Edu, GV. Archives at Caernarfon.

The following are in Portsmouth itself: The Mary Rose, the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Association Archive, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior. There are other military museums such as the D-Day Museum, with its Overlord Embroidery, and Southsea Castle on Clarence Esplanade. The whole area is permeated with Naval and military associations and memorials. For general information telephone Portsmouth City Council visitor information service on +44 (0)23 9282 6722 or go to the web-site. In adjacent Southsea is the Royal Marines Museum. Across the harbour, in Gosport, are the Hovercraft Museum and the RN Submarine Museum at HMS Alliance. The RN's Naval Armaments Museum at Gosport is open to the public, as "Explosion! Museum of Naval Firepower". There is now a Diving Museum at Gosport. At the north end of the harbour, at Fareham, the shore establishment HMS Collingwood includes their Historic Collection of Naval Radar & Radio equipment. Also near Fareham, The Royal Armouries Ordnance Museum is at Fort Nelson There are examples of artillery from earliest times to WWII. They have live firings from time to time. Some of the old harbour defence forts are decommissioned and are open to visitors from time to time (eg: Fort Brockhurst). Portchester Castle is a ruined mediaeval castle within the walls of a Roman fortress, and incorporates some World War II defensive positions. Southampton, where the great transatlantic liners used the deep water harbour, is only a few miles away. It has a new maritime museum at SeaCity Museum and a number of maritime memorials (eg: Mayflower, Stella and Titanic). The British Military Powerboat Trust had a collection of fast boats at Marchwood. It merged with Portsmouth Naval Base and is now called British Military Powerboat Team, though many of the Trust's powerboats have been dispersed. A few miles from Southampton, Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu (pronounced Bewley) river used to be an important ship-building centre for the Royal Navy in the days of sail. This picturesque village has a maritime museum.

Wheeled & other transport displays, many from the Kelvin Hall collection. Some ship models in glass cases, others in a large rotating display. Part of collection stored at GMRC. Some other maritime displays. AV, Edu. Restored barque GLENLEE is alongside.

The Hulks: the prison ships on the Medway where French & American PoWs were held during the Napoleonic wars. Shipbuilding, models of rivercraft. Tools, local memorabilia, weapons, prints. Special exhibitions: "Stories from the Great War". Edu & GV BA

30/06/14

Royal Air Force Museum, London
Grahame Park Way, Hendon, London NW9 5LL

The RFA Association holds an archive of several thousand photographs, documents, ephemera & artefacts relating to the RFA. The Association is an Armed Forces sector charity formed to preserve the traditions of the service and support members.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has many museums and displays around the British Isles. As well as the collection at its HQ in Poole, the following lifeboat museums are included in this list: Barmouth RNLI Museum, Grace Darling Museum at Bamburgh, Henry Blogg Museum at Cromer, Lifeboat! at Chatham, the Lifeboat Museum at Eastbourne, Whitby Lifeboat Museum and the Zetland Lifeboat Museum at Redcar.
Very many other museums in this list also exhibit RNLI material. For a free list & map of all lifeboat museums, display centres and lifeboat stations in Britain and Ireland, contact the RNLI HQ at Poole. They would appreciate a donation to defray costs, as the RNLI is a charity supported entirely by voluntary contributions.
The Henry Ramey Upcher Private Lifeboat Museum at Sheringham and the Tynemouth Volunteer Lifebrigade Museum at North Shields are not RNLI museums.

In a building once part of HMS EUROPA (1939-45) the RNPS Assocn has a large display of photographs, models & other memorabilia in a room dedicated to Lt. Richard Stannard VC RNR. ARC & Lib BA. The RNPS Memorial, & Maritime & War Memorial museums are nearby.

A new museum is being developed, to highlight the story of the convoys that sailed from Loch Ewe & other ports in Britain to the northern Russian ports in WW2. It will cover the men of the Royal& Merchant Navies who carried supplies to our ally in 1941-1945.

Atmospherically dark re-creation of a late 18 century smuggler's tavern at night. Audio commentary tells story of John Andrew and other local smugglers. In addition to authentic 'props' there are old prints depicting smuggling & revenue cutters. Edu & GV BA.

New museum features the life of Shetlanders. Special exhibit on "The Shetland Bus", a sea-borne Norwegian Resistance undertaking, assisted by the RN. Photos, maps, listings of missions & vessels. Shetland fishing & whaling history: model boats etc.

The naval history of Scapa Flow, from the Napoleonic War to WW2. Relics from the scuttled German High Seas Fleet, & from RN ships. Propeller & gun from HMS HAMPSHIRE. Other ordnance. Wartime life on Orkney. Photos & memorabilia. In RN oil pump-house.

The history & organisation of the RNLI. History of the Selsey Lifeboat Station since 1861 is shown with photographs, models & videos of rescues. Housed in old inshore lifeboat building (the offshore boathouse is always open). Tyne Class Lifeboat 47-001

11/07/14

Sewerby Hall Art Gallery and Museum (Museum of East Yorkshire)
Church Lane, Sewerby, Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire YO15 1EA

The Maritime Shore: a collection of items from shipwrecks, 150 AD to the 19C. Wrecks of the AMSTERDAM, ANNE & other local wrecks. Displays on fishing and the Cinque Ports. Visits to shipwreck sites, lectures, general local history. Edu & GV BA.

Extensive displays of artifacts from 150 wrecks. Old diving gear. Local history of port built 1791 for export of fish, minerals & china clay. Recreated local workshops. RNLI & rescue at sea. In a historic building by the old harbour. Edu & GV BA.

A small museum, housed in the Signal Tower, tells the story of the building of the Skerryvore Lighthouse in the 1840s, by Alan Stevenson, son of Robert Stevenson the Scottish lighthouse engineer, and uncle to the writer Robert Louis Stevenson.

International Slavery Museum in the Merseyside Maritime Museum displays the history of the slave trade: life in West Africa, African art, the transatlantic carriage of African slaves (the "middle passage") & the legacies of slavery. Edu & GV BA.

The third lighthouse to have been built (1756-59) on Eddystone Rock. When the present lighthouse was built (1878-82) the top of Smeaton's was removed to Plymouth Hoe. Strenuous access to top lantern room. Edu, GV. Check for occasional closures!

Museum displays the history & archaeology of South Tyneside plus an interpretation of the Gallery's collection of paintings. Shipbuilding. Lifeboats. Art gallery. "Tales of South Tyneside": local history & authoress Catherine Cookson. Edu, GV.

Displays on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Colne Valley. Located in Tunnel End, former canal warehouse. A major canal tunnel, associated with Thomas Telford. Short & long boat trips. See website for special events. Edu, GV BA. Cafe, etc.

Exhibition hall explains the site where 7th C. Anglo-Saxon ship burial was found in 1938-9. Many original finds, on loan from British Museum. Reproduction of King Raedwald's (?) burial with his weapons & possessions. Burial mounds nearby. Edu & GV BA.

The restored Clydebuilt steel barque Glenlee (1896) is now at the Riverside Museum. She was acquired by Clyde Maritime Trust for restoration at Glasgow. Now most of the ship is accessible (some restrictions for wheelchairs). Edu, Conference hire, etc, BA.

Uniforms, equipment & memorabilia relating to over 200 years of policing the Thames. Housed on original site of Thames Marine Police (formed 1798), now the HQ of Metropolitan Police's Marine Support Unit. GV BA (maximum of 20 persons incl school parties).

22/07/14

Time and Tide Museum of Great Yarmouth Life
Tower Curing Works Building, Blackfriars Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 3BX

Displays illustrate history of Stonehaven. Links with the sea: inshore fishing, herring barrel coopering. Housed in Stonehaven's oldest building, a 16C storehouse which served as a tolbooth and later as a prison. Volunteers set up various activities. GV BA.

Large brick ice-house, once used to store ice for salmon & other fishermen, allowing them to send fish to distant markets. Now it is part of the Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society centre. Tours daily in summer: history of salmon fishing & whale exhibits. Edu.

The Watch House Museum displays pictures & memorabilia related to the work of the Brigade on the North Tyneside coast since 1864. Relics from shipwrecks, figureheads, plaques. The Brigade is an independent organisation, dealing with local emergencies. Edu GV.

National museum. Collections of art, archaeology & local history. Gallery of artefacts recovered from GIRONA shipwreck of the 1588 Spanish Armada. The Sea Around Us diorama of marine wildlife. Militaria collection. ARC, Edu. Library at Cultra.

Collection of 30 ships' figureheads, name-boards & other decorative ships' carvings from the age of sail. Collection was started c. 1840, from local shipwrecks. Includes items from HMS Colossus & HMS Association wrecks.

Maritime displays focus on the lifeboats & their crews, from the boats of the late 19C to 1990s. Local paddle steamers. Duck-punt& gun. Geology of the Naze. RNLI CITY OF LEICESTER outside. The JAMES STEVENS No 14 motor lifeboat (1900-1928) restored. Edu BA.

Local fishing, with emphasis on Somerset flatners. Museum owns the last surviving examples of this type of boat. Models, fishing gear, barges, related artefacts & pictures. How to build a modern Somerset Flatner, or a model. ARC, Edu, GV - all BA.

Underground Operations & Map Room, Admiral's Office, Teleprinter Station & other parts of the extensive Western Approaches HQ for the Battle of the Atlantic against German U-boats in WW2. Other displays illustrate life in the 'blitz'. Edu & GV BA.

Opening days: Thurs-Sun 11:00-16:30 April-Sept. See website for other times.

Good collection of maritime art, esp ship portraits. Displays on local seafaring, oyster fisheries. Early diving: shipwrecks and maritime archaeology. Whitstable and the sea. Coastal wildlife. See web-site for Special Exhibitions. AV, GV, Edu.

A fine collection of historic powered boats, some salvaged from sunken wrecks and restored to working order. Steam launch "Dolly" (c1850) is oldest powered boat. Many other early steam launches, motor, rowing & sailing boats. Collection closed for a time.

Opening days: normally open daily; check with the Museum of Hartlepool.

Side-paddle steamer. River Humber LNER ferry 1934-74. Now fully restored, in dock where she was built. Triple expansion steam engine. Recent refurbishment has reduced access to some lower deck areas that are now reserved for corporate & education use.

The Society collects & restores old canal craft, mostly working boats, with volunteer labour. It now owns one of the largest collections of wooden canal boats in the UK, & keeps many of them in working condition.

Disclaimer. Although much effort has been made to achieve accuracy, there is no guarantee that this list is free from errors, and details may change at short notice. Never make a special journey to any museum without first confirming the opening times. All the data listed here are believed to be in the public domain.

Updates: We have maintained this list of maritime museums in one form or another since about 1995. We have tried to keep the information up to date. The last revision date for each individual entry is shown in small print at the bottom-right.

Our web-site is not a detailed guide to collections. It is primarily a check-list with location and contact addresses, web links and terse summaries of the exhibits and facilities. It just presents information, primarily in text form.

The main list includes museums and museum-ships, listed in alphabetical order of their usual name. "The Museum of Xyz" is indexed under "Xyz" and not under "Museum" or "The". Naval or ex-naval vessels are given the prefix HMS but are indexed under the vessel's name and not under "HMS". At present, HMS VICTORY is the only museum ship properly entitled to the HMS prefix, as she is still a commissioned Royal Naval vessel. Other vessels that were once RN vessels are given a courtesy prefix of 'HMS' to indicate their past history, although they are now decommissioned.

Note on usage: it is a grammatical error to prefix "HMS" with the definite article ("The"). "HMS" is an abbreviation for "His/Her Majesty's Ship" and it would be a solecism to write or say, for example: "Nelson's flagship was the His Majesty's Ship VICTORY". If the acronym HMS is omitted, in informal use, then it is acceptable to write or say: "The Victory was Nelson's flagship". Current RN personnel often refer to ships by main name only, eg: "Kent" for HMS KENT. However, with so many current warships named after cities (EDINBURGH, ST ALBANS, MONTROSE, etc) this could lead to misunderstandings if used generally.

Note on dimensions: most of the measurements given in this web-site are in standard British units. There are 12 inches in one foot, and one foot is approximately equal to 0.3048 metres. The British land mile equals 1760 yards (5280 feet) or about 1.6093 kilometres.

This website lists over 290 Naval and Maritime Museums in Britain, Ireland and the adjacent islands. Naval museums include Royal Marines (RM) and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) collections. Civil maritime sites include Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), local and national museums with collections related to fisheries, trade, shipbuilding, inland waterways, Customs and Excise, marine biology, maritime exploration and other nautical interests. The list is not exhaustive: many coastal towns have museums with some material related to fishing and the sea. This web-site is intended primarily to offer contact addresses, telephone numbers etc. and links to other web-sites with more detailed information. We include an indication of which days a museum is likely to be open, and give a terse outline of the museum's displays and related facilities.

NMV: Not a Museum Vessel. This is a category that includes privately owned classic vessels that either belong to preservation trusts, or are still earning their keep by being actively used for charter, hire, corporate hospitality, etc. We used to maintain a separate list of some of these vessels, but this list has been discontinued, with effect from February 2013.

Historic Vessels:

The National Historic Ships Committee was set up in 1992 to create a database of the historic vessels existing in Britain and to assess and evaluate preservation efforts. It was able to advise government departments and other relevant organizations. At the time, the database was restricted to British-built or British-owned vessels that had been built before 1945 and which were at least 40 tons displacement or 40 feet in length.
The work begun by the NHSC has now been continued by the National Historic Ships organization, with a somewhat wider remit. There are now about 1000 vessels on the National Register of Historic Vessels and there is a parallel National Archive of Historic Vessels. The criteria for inclusion have been extended: vessels must be at least 50 years old, more than 33 feet (10.07 m) LOA and there is also a National Small Boat Register. The vessels are now grouped into sub-classes. The National Historic Fleet lists over 200 significant vessels and within this category there is a Core Collection of the most important heritage vessels - at present about 60 ships and boats.
The majority of the vessels on the National Register are privately or commercially owned and are not necessarily accessible to the public. They are not to be regarded as museum vessels. These latter comprise only a small fraction of the Register.
The National Small Boat Register is maintained by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

People who might like to sail on a classic vessel may find useful information in periodicals such as the British monthly magazines Classic Boat (Leon House, 233 High Street, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ, England), and Traditional Boats and Tall Ships (Wild Publishing, 22a Iliffe Yard, London SE17 3QA, England). There is a useful list of web-sites for classic boat societies and magazines at the web-site for the Essex smack "Pioneer"

A new organisation, the Maritime Heritage Trust, has been formed from the merger of "Heritage Afloat" and the Maritime Trust. Its primary purpose is to extend support for owners of operational historic vessels in the UK, helping them to lobby for support from British national and regional Government departments, heritage bodies, tourism and educational groups. It will work closely with the National Historic Ships organisation (see above). It will continue to belong to The Heritage Alliance and the Domestic Passenger Ship Steering Group. It will be the UK representative on the board of European Maritime Heritage (see below).

European Maritime Heritage is an organization that works to coordinate practical considerations, especially in the sailing of classic vessels, within the different national regulations of European countries. Differing Health and Safety regulations in the countries of the European Community pose problems for those who might wish to sail a classic vessel from one country to another. The web-site is at: http://www.european-maritime-heritage.org/

Note: some Special Event 'hotline' numbers (eg: those UK ones beginning with 015230, 0331, 0336, 0338, 0660, 08364, 0839, 0870, 0890 to 0898, 0930, 0991 and a few others) are charged at premium-rates and might not be accessible to callers outside the UK. Details of the charges for special numbers are available from BT (British Telecom) as a downloadable PDF document:
http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumer/consumerProducts/pdf/SpecialisedNos.pdf

All main telephone and fax numbers are now given in the international format of:

For the UK:

+44

(0) AreaCodeNumber PhoneNumber

For Eire:

+353

(0) AreaCodeNumber PhoneNumber

In this format the (0) indicates a zero that is ignored when calling to (code)44 or (code)353 from outside the British Isles, but must be prefixed to the area code number when dialling within Britain or the Republic of Ireland respectively. (The local area code number format may still be found for incidental phone numbers in other fields).

Museum and unofficial Internet URLs, and e-mail access:

Web sites with information about individual museums have their web addresses listed under the name of the museum. Many are official sites, with e-mail access to the museum; others are unofficial ones maintained by tourist organisations or enthusiasts, that allow no electronic access to the museum. Sites with less information about a museum than is included in the present list are not mentioned, unless they have a useful total amount of information about other related matters. If you find a new and better link or if you find that one of our links has 'died' we would be grateful if you could let us know.

Opening days: Sometimes we only indicate which days a museum opens. Some museums have different opening hours for each day of the week, and sometimes opening hours are changed at short notice. In some cases we give the opening times recently quoted but these cannot be guaranteed. If a museum has a regularly updated web-site, look to see if the current opening hours and admission charges are given there, and telephone for confirmation if there might be any doubt and you are planning to make a significant journey. Many museums cease admitting visitors 30 - 60 minutes before closing time.

Even museums listed as opening "Daily" will normally close over the Christmas holiday period, and maybe other public holidays, such as New Year and Easter. Museums manned by volunteers may open for only about 2 hours on the days listed, and opening may be curtailed or cancelled if a local volunteer cannot turn up. In some museums "Health and Safety at Work" regulations require a minimum of two attendants, and if one fails to turn up the museum may have to close without notice. If a museum opens on Sundays it will often be in the afternoon only. Never make a long journey to any museum without first confirming its precise opening hours for the time you wish to visit.

Admission charges: These are not given because they change too often. The old British cultural tradition of free entry to all museums became impossible to maintain, through chronic under-funding and government economic policies that began in the 1970s. Many little village museums now charge about 50 pence to 2 pounds. Larger museums charge several pounds for a multiple-entry ticket to a major site with several separate attractions. There are usually cheaper concessions for students, the retired and others with no earned income. New government policies now allow many major museums in England and Wales to open free of charge. Some other museums allow free access, but depend upon generous voluntary donations at the door to keep going. Please donate a minimum of one pound per visitor to a small museum: this is the least that they need to cover overhead costs even with unpaid volunteer attendants. A larger one will need more. The situation, including official policy, is constantly changing. If a museum has its own web-site the admission charges will usually be given there.

Access for the disabled: More and more museums are adapting their structures to improve access for those in wheelchairs, etc. In some cases (eg: lighthouses, old buildings and some museum vessels) it is not possible for disabled visitors to have full access. Please enquire from the museum what facilities there are for disabled visitors if this is important to you, as it is not something that we record. Many museums now include this information in their web-sites.

Shops and catering: Most museums sell booklets and souvenirs; the larger ones often have an on-site shop selling books, art reproductions, models, etc, and the income generated helps the museum. Many also have a cafeteria or catering facility for light meals, or there may be a restaurant nearby. We have not listed this information; enquire from the museum if it is important to you.

Reference and Guide Books:

By the nature of book publishing, all guide books are liable to be slightly out of date in a few details by the time they are on sale. At present, "Maritime Britain: a celebration of Britain's maritime heritage" by Paul Heiney (Adlard Coles Nautical, London, 2005; ISBN 10:0-7136-7091-6 or ISBN 13:978-0-7136-7091-2) seems to be the most recent guidebook. It covers in excellent detail the coastal museums of England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man, and is very well illustrated. It does not cover most of the inland waterway collections, nor the Irish museums.

Anthony Burton's "The Daily Telegraph Guide to Britain's Maritime Past" (Aurum Press: London: 2003. ISBN 185410909X or 1854109200) now seems to be out of print, though some bookshops have copies. It is a comprehensive guide to maritime collections and museum vessels in the UK (Ireland is not covered and some inland waterway museums are omitted). The museum entries are interspersed with general historical information and it is well illustrated. Christine Redington's "A Guide to the Small Museums of Britain" (Tauris: London and New York: 2002. ISBN 1860646239) is also useful, with directions for access. It includes several small maritime museums in the UK, but is not at all comprehensive.

Older guides, including Keith Wheatley's "The National Maritime Museum Guide to Maritime Britain" (1990), the volumes in the HMSO series: "Exploring Museums" and a printed version of our list published by Chatham Publishing in 1998, are now out of date.

"A Guide to Military Museums and other places of military interest" by Terence and Shirley Wise (Terence Wise/Imperial Press: Knighton: 2001) was a very useful book with its details about admission, travelling directions and other places of interest in the area. The 10th edition (2001) seems to have been the last revision, and copies are now hard to find.

The current "Museums and Galleries Yearbook" (The Museums Association, 24 Calvin Street, London E1 6NW; www.museumsassociation.org) is invaluable for administrative details, but it gives little information about the collections and is not a guide book. A few museums in this list are not in the Yearbook.

Shire Publications have a series of inexpensive small books that serve as good introductions to many topics. They usually have suggestions for places to visit and a bibliography. There are now about 17 maritime and inland-waterway titles in their list. A few are getting a bit out of date, but they reissue revisions from time to time. Shire are now part of Osprey Publishing, Midland House, West Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 0PH. You can see their list at: http://www.shirebooks.co.uk

Abbreviations:

ARC:

Archives and/or Reserve Collection held for research.

AV:

Audio-Visual Displays used.

BA:

By appointment, or by prior arrangement.

BH:

Bank Holidays (ie Public Holidays).

DB:

Database of information on site.

Edu:

Educational facilities. (maybe BA)

GV:

Group Visits can be arranged. (maybe BA)

Lib:

Library on site. (maybe BA)

LOA:

Length Overall. Usually excludes bowsprit and other spars.

MM/IMM:

Multimedia/Interactive Multimedia displays.

NHF:

In the National Historic Fleet, National Register of Historic Vessels.

NHF-CC:

In the Core Collection of the National Historic Fleet, National Register of Historic Vessels.

NMV:

Not Museum Vessel (see note above).

NT:

The National Trust Organization.

PoW:

Prisoner of War (usually Napoleonic period).

RML:

Rifled Muzzle Loader (cannon).

Although much effort has been made to achieve accuracy, there is no guarantee that this list is free from errors, and details may change at short notice. The information on these pages is for general guidance only and we cannot be held responsible for disappointments or wasted expenses because of changes or circumstances not noted in the entries. Please keep us informed of any corrections, additions or other necessary changes. We are always grateful for information. All the data listed here are believed to be in the public domain.